


Future Life and Current Love, Squared

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-04
Updated: 2006-03-04
Packaged: 2018-08-15 23:04:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8076367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Archer receives some surprising wisdom from a wise old Vulcan woman. Spoilers, 3.21 "E2." (05/21/2004)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

  
Author's notes: This is an alternate universe which is different from the alternate universe presented in 3.21 "E2," which is different than the fictional universe in which Enterprise resides, which is different than our universe...well, you get the drift.  
  
This is a work of fiction and is my interpretation as to how these characters would react to these events. Any similarity to anyone's real life, or reality in general is strictly coincidental.  


* * *

"Give this to your science officer." The old woman said as she handed the padd over to the captain of the original Enterprise. "She'll know what to do."

"I will." Jonathan Archer accepted the padd gratefully. Even after a hundred years the Vulcan was coming through for him.

This audience seemingly at an end, Archer was about to take his leave when T'Pol held him back. "There is one more thing..."

Intrigued, Archer hesitated by the doorway. T'Pol looked...well...uncomfortable was the only word that came to mind. "Is something bothering you, T'Pol?

It was tiny, but Archer could almost swear that she laughed a little. "I've been living among humans for too long." The old woman admitted. I can't hide my feelings as well as I used to."

"Maybe it's just because I know you so well." Archer threw that out, trying to make her feel better. "So, what's the problem?"

The Vulcan pressed her lips together, an unconscious desire to hold back but it was too late for that. She had crossed her Rubicon and now it was time to face the consequences. "Actually you're the problem, Jonathan.

"Me?" Archer was taken aback"

"I'm afraid it's true." The Vulcan affirmed. "The trouble lies with you and Trip."

"Trip? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Actually a great deal." The old woman settled herself down into a comfortable chair. This was going to take a while. "I was on the bridge when word came that Trip had been injured in a explosion. I ran for engineering, but when I arrived I found that you were all ready there. Trip was lying in your arms and confessing his love, not for me, but for you.

Now it was Jonathan who needed to sit. Archer staggered to her bunk, barely making it before his knees gave away. He couldn't have heard right. "Trip said he loved me?"

T'Pol understood the man's confusion. "Apparently the commander is as adept at hiding his true feelings as you are."

"As I am?" Archer parroted that automatically. "What does that mean?"

T'Pol's sympathy for this man was extreme. Secrets that had been buried for years were about to be revealed. The truth, as painful as it was, could no longer be avoided. "Trip died before you got the chance to tell him the same. That haunted you for the rest of your life."

"No, no, no. This is all wrong." T'Pol's truth had just penetrated to his very soul and exposed things that he wasn't ready to face, at least not yet. "Sure I love Trip, like the friend he's always been, but there's never been anything more between us than that."

The fact that Jon would wish things to be different was buried deep. Archer had long believed that his feelings were one way, that there could never be any intimacy between them. This was so set in his mind that the captain wasn't immediately able to adapt to such a radical change in his world view. He had to argue. "Trip couldn't love me. After all, he lived with you for fourteen years."

"That was a marriage of convenience." T'Pol wished it wasn't true, but denying the facts would be illogical. "Procreation became a primary goal when Enterprise became cut off from the rest of humanity. It became the duty of each woman to give birth to at least one child. Since Trip and I had experienced conjugal relations before, he was the only male aboard that I felt comfortable procreating with, so the commander gracefully agreed to become my husband so our children would be legitimate under your law. His heart was never part of our bargain. It all ready belonged to someone one else."

"It belonged to me." The words came out in a whisper. Their owner was too stunned to be able to manage anything else. Reality had just crashed through all of Jon's long held illusions. Trip loved him. He said so with his dying breath. The feelings that Jon had held so closely to his chest had been reciprocated. He had just been to blind to see it.

Across the room T'Pol saw that knowledge had been accepted. The old Vulcan knew that she was about to deny her counterpart the chance to spend the rest of her life with one amazing man, but Trip was never truly happy with her. He deserved more. This was the only logical solution.

The old woman fought her way to her feet, hobbled across the room and took Jonathan Archer's hands into her own. "Don't hide from yourself any longer. Go to Trip. Tell him you love him. Give yourself the chance for true happiness that was denied to you in my future." He was wavering, she saw that he was. Jon was nearly ready, he just needed one more thing. T'pol summoned up all the strength that remained within her and shoved Archer toward the door.

Jon got the hint all right. He was in the corridor when he turned and looked back at the old woman for what he knew was the final time. "Thanks."

There was a barely perceptible nod in return. "Just make him happy."

Archer's heart nearly broke at the anguish he heard there. Finally, he had irrefutable proof that Vulcan's do feel emotions, and painful ones at that. Jon would keep that uppermost in his mind when dealing with his own science officer, but right now he had his own mission to perform. Jon nodded his acceptance of the old woman's order, then let the door slide shut, blocking the view between them.

Jon felt bad for her, but there was nothing he could do to change her past, he could only control his own destiny. It was time to go find Trip.

* * *

After numerous inquiries Archer was finally able to track down his wayward engineer who was repairing a fried a plasma conduit on E deck. This was one of the most heavily damaged sections of the ship and Trip was finishing up some of the never ending repairs that were needed after this section depressurized.

The captain of Enterprise picked his way through the rubble still scattered across the floor. The hour was late and no one else was in the corridor. Archer was concerned when he learned that Trip was still up and working. The captain had been so busy planning tactics with Degra that he hadn't had much time to check on the welfare of his chief engineer.

Jon felt a pang of guilt stab through him. He knew that Trip had faced up to some pretty intense emotions when he came face to face with the man who had essentially murdered his sister, but the engineer was, for the most part, able to restrain himself. If Jon had been in Trip's shoes he might have killed Degra himself and the captain was pleased that the engineer contained his revenge to only words.

Archer was able to gain Degra's trust and for the first time in months he really had hope that their mission might succeed, and for the first time in months he could spare an hour or two for a purely personal matter.

Archer rounded a bend in the hallway an was treated to a sight so delectable that he just stood there for a moment to enjoy it.

Trip's ass wiggled seductively as it stuck out from a hole in the corridor wall. It's owner must have needed to shift continuously while fixing whatever was broken inside those hallowed walls because that ass was continually on the move, shifting right an left, all in all putting on one hell of a show.

The effect on Archer was instantaneous. He felt a hardness in his groin that he instinctively tried to conceal, then Jon belatedly remembered that he didn't have to hide such things anymore. Hopefully he would be able to find a more pleasurable way to take care of such problems very, very soon.

Jon moved forward, deliberately kicking away some debris in order to make some noise. He didn't want to startle Trip and cause the young man to bump his head.

Fortunately Tucker was able to extract himself safely and sat on the deck for the moment, grabbing a chance to rest. He was a little surprised to see who his visitor was, but pleased never the less. "Hey there, Cap'n. What brings you down to the bowels of the ship in the middle of the night?"

"You do."

"Me?" It had been a long time since the captain had actually made the physical effort to seek him out. At first Trip couldn't understand such outlandish behavior, then a logical reason came to mind. Archer must be after a repair update. "I've all ready finished installing the upgrades that our...children gave us. I don't think were going to have any trouble with compatibility."

"I'm glad to hear it, but a status report isn't why I came down here."

"It isn't?" That sent Trip's mind spinning. A visit for personal reasons was out of character for Archer, the new Archer anyway. Much to Tucker's dismay it seemed that his close friendship with Jon seemed to evaporate the moment that Enterprise flew into the expanse. Trip mourned that loss almost as much as the loss of his sister, but he didn't question his captain's actions. Jon was under enormous pressure and Trip wanted to help any way he could, even if that meant staying away from the best friend he ever had.

They hadn't really talked about anything but business for months so if Archer didn't want a status report, then why was he down here? "I'm afraid I don't understand, Cap'n."

Of course he didn't. How could Trip be expected to comprehend Jon's behavior when he didn't fully understand it himself? Archer sat himself down next to his friend. This was going to take a while. "I've just come from talking to T'Pol."

Trip's lips pressed together, a sure sign of his annoyance. It looked like the Vulcan was tattling on him again. "Look, Cap'n, I don't know what she told you, but I'm fit for duty. I'm not doin' any repairs that aren't absolutely necessary..."

"Woah there." Jon held up his hands to stop the flood. "Never, for one instant did I think that you weren't fit for duty, that's not what this is about." Archer paused long enough to cast a critical eye on his companion and for the first time he noticed how tired Trip looked. "You are getting enough sleep, aren't you?"

The engineer sighed. Here we go again. "Yes sir. Phlox is keeping a tight watch on me." It took a minute, but the second part of Jon's statement finally sunk into his mind. "If T'Pol didn't complain about my workin' habits, then what did she send you down here for?"

The mighty captain of the Enterprise felt embarrassed. "I'm afraid that you're operating under a misconception, Trip." The engineer raised one eyebrow. He had been hanging around the Vulcan too long. "I was talking to the T'Pol who lives on the other Enterprise."

Now that did surprise Trip. "You mean she's still alive?" Jon simply nodded. "She's got to be nearly a hundred and fifty years old!"

"You know how tough she is."

Trip knew that well enough and accepted the fact of her survival. "What did she tell ya?"

"Lot's of things." Jon was deliberately vague, ducking the volatile main issue for the moment. "She gave me a padd with scientific notations on it to give to our science officer. T'Pol is checking it out right now."

That sounded interesting, but it didn't explain Jon's unusual behavior. "That's what you came all the way down here to tell me?"

"Not exactly. She told me some personal things, things she thought we should know."

"Personal things." Now that didn't make any sense to Trip at all. "Why would T'Pol be tellin' you personal stuff about her and me?"

Archer's discomfort grew. There would be no more stalling. All secrets were about to be revealed. Jon only hoped that the old woman was right. "She wasn't talking about you and her, she was talking about you and me." There he said it. There was no taking it back now.

"You and me?" Trip repeated unconsciously in a whisper. The reaction was automatic because the engineer was, quite frankly, too stunned to think properly. What could the old woman have possibly said that would send the captain scurrying down here after him. Trip knew what he wanted it to be, of course. He had loved Jon for as long as he could remember, but the captain had never been colder to him than he had this year. Trip wasn't sure if they could even be considered friends anymore, there was no chance in hell that they could ever be lovers, so what was this all about? He didn't want to ask, but he had to. "I don't understand."

"I know." Jon chose his words carefully. So much depended on the next few minutes. "Trip, I know I haven't been the best of friends to you this year..." Trip tried to cut him off with a protest but Jon wouldn't allow it. "No, we both know that I've treated you like dirt. I tried to tell myself that it was necessary but the truth of the matter was that the pressure of this mission is so intense that I couldn't handle it. I had to be so strong in order to make the tough decisions that I got too strong and ended up pushing away everyone I ever cared about."

"Even me?"

"Especially you."

Jon cared for him? Trip's heart wrenched. He had given up all hope that any part of his relationship with Jon could be salvaged, but now Jon was hinting that maybe this notion was wrong. Did they have a future together after all?

Future. Trip narrowed his eyes. That reminded him of something. "What else did T'Pol tell you?"

"She told me..." Damn it! Jon was a diplomat, ready and willing to argue for the lives of his race before a council of aliens bent on destroying them and his tongue got tied up into a knot in front of this man..."She said..." Oh hell. There was only one way to do this.

Jon suddenly reached forward, grabbed a fist full of engineer uniform, then tugged Trip forward. Once the engineer was in range, Jon kissed him, hard!

Trip couldn't help but tense up at first, he was just so damn shocked by the whole thing! But after a second his brain caught up with his senses and he began to return the kiss with a fervor. He didn't really understand how this all came about and he really didn't care. He was finally nestled in the arms of the man he loved. Nothing was more important than that.

The intensity of the kiss deepened along with their desire. Soon the need for more oxygen became urgently apparent and the pair reluctantly parted, although Jon refused to go far. He merely switched from tasting Tucker's supple lips to nuzzling his delectable ear. "Do you think you can take a break from the repairs for a little while?"

"And do what?" Breathless, Trip hoped he knew the answer.

"We could steal a few precious moments together in my cabin." Archer's voice was suggestive.

Trip didn't waste any time. The engineer leapt to his feet and held out his hand. "What are we waiting for?"

Jon grinned as he allowed Trip to pull him to his feet. They were off to bed, but not to sleep.

* * *

Jon couldn't remember a time when he had felt more content. Trip lay pressed up against him, a warm and comforting presence against his side. Their love making had been more than Jon could hope for. It was dynamic, explosive, perfect. Well, nearly perfect. There was one more thing he had to do to make this day, and his life complete. "Trip."

"Wha..."

Trip's sleepy murmur made Jon laugh. The engineer was simply adorable in his post-coital haze. "Wake up, will you. I want to ask you something."

"I'm...'wake." The engineer protested, his words still slurred with sleep.

Jon risked a peek at his new lover. Trip's eyes were only part-way shut. Jon could still see a strip of baby blue peering out from beneath those lids. That was good enough. "Trip, will you marry me?"

That did it! Trip's eyes snapped wide open. "Did I hear you right?"

Jon leaned over to give Trip a kiss for a answer. "I love you, Trip. We've wasted ten years and I don't want to waste another second. Now, I don't know what the future holds for us, or quite frankly if we're even going to have a future, but I do know that I can deal with whatever happens a hell of a lot better as long as we face it together, so...what to you say?"

Trip didn't say anything immediately. Afraid that he had moved too fast, Jon risked glancing at his lover, only to be amazed to find that there were tears in his eyes. "Trip?"

Tucker leaned forward and kissed Jon soundly before saying the one word Jon so desperately wanted to hear. "Yes."

As they snuggled together once again Jon made a mental note to try to take a minute to go visit the other T'Pol before they and the ship of their children separated for the final time. The old woman had, in a sense, sacrificed herself in order to ensure their happiness.

He had much to thank her for.


End file.
